Roasting and glazing apparatus and method of cleaning thereof

ABSTRACT

An apparatus/method of cleaning a roaster bowl having a pouring lip and a cover (e.g., sugar or other coating is adhered to the bowl, its pouring lip and the cover). Water is added to the roaster bowl and the cover is placed over the roaster bowl. An appropriately sized and located steam vent is disposed between the cover and roaster bowl, adjacent to the bowl&#39;s pouring lip. The roaster bowl is heated to boil the water to produce steam that dissolves the sugar adhered to the roaster bowl and to the underside of the cover. Steam exiting the bowl via the vent condenses on the pouring lip to dissolve the sugar that is adhered to the pouring lip, and the sugar-laden steam drips back into the bowl thus cleaning the pouring lip.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/950,663,filed Nov. 24, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/861,341, filed Sep. 22, 2015, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/729,747, filed Jun. 3, 2015, theentire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a roasting and glazingapparatus and, more particularly, to a machine/device that roasts and/orglazes nuts and other food items that has various novel and advantageousfeatures directed to both safety and performance.

2. Description of the Related Art

Roasted and/or glazed nuts can be made in a variety of manners and usinga variety of types of equipment. Available equipment, however, is eithercumbersome to use or unsafe in various respects, or both. For instance,it may be difficult and/or unsafe to empty the finished product from avery large, typically heavy cooking bowl into a tray or other bowl forsubsequent handling. In particular, a heavy bowl may require two peopleto safely lift and then be turned to empty its contents. In somemachines, the bowl can be lifted by raising a handle, but the bowl canquickly drop if the user accidentally lets go of the handle.

As another example, the addition of water during a nut glazing stepoften results in the creation of a large burst of steam that may burnthe operator if appropriate precautions are not taken. In someinstances, the operator must be reasonably skilled to avoid beingburned.

In addition, it always is desirable to minimize waste or scrap. In nutroasting/glazing, scrap are pieces of sugar that have binded together toform a ball, sometimes called a sugar ball. Sugar balls are very hardand could break a tooth if bitten. As a result, sugar balls within abatch of roasted/glazed nuts should be discarded, which increases timeand expense. Sugar balls vary in size, but generally have a size (width)of between 2.0 mm (about 0.079 inches) and 2.5 cm (about 0.98 inches),but sometimes are even bigger.

Still further, to clean the cooking bowl, water typically is added tothe bowl and then heated to melt and dissolve all of the remainingsugar. Then, the now-heated water, along with the dissolved sugar, ispoured out. While effective to clean the bowl, removing the water withthe dissolved sugar (called herein, for convenience, “sugar water”) maybe cumbersome.

Additionally, in the glazing and/or cleaning processes of certainmachines, a relatively substantial amount of sugar water is convertedinto steam that escapes into the air, which disadvantageously causessurrounding surfaces to be coated with sugar.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a roasting and glazing apparatus that produces high qualityroasted/glazed nuts.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a roastingand glazing apparatus that is easy and safe to operate. In particular,it is an object to provide a machine that is simple enough to use toallow a non-highly skilled person to properly and safely operate it.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide aroasting and glazing apparatus that enables the operator to easily andsafely empty the unit's roaster bowl upon completing a batch ofroasted/glazed nuts.

It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide aroasting and glazing apparatus that is designed to minimize theaccidental falling of a raised roaster bowl.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a roasting andglazing apparatus that is designed to prevent the operator or anotherindividual from being scalded by any steam that is created during eitherthe cooking or cleaning processes.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide aroasting and glazing apparatus that produces roasted and glazed nutswith minimal waste or scrap.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a roastingand glazing apparatus that produces nuts that are well coated andglazed.

It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide aroasting and glazing apparatus that is easy to clean.

It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide aroasting and glazing apparatus that minimizes or otherwise reduces thedispersion of sugar-laden steam during glazing and cleaning, thuspreventing potential damage to machine components, shelves and itemslocated in the vicinity of the machine, and significantly minimizingcleanup of surfaces and items in the surrounding area that otherwisewould be laden with sugar.

To achieve one or more of the foregoing and other objects, the presentinvention, in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention, is amethod of cleaning a roaster bowl, comprising the steps of providing aroaster bowl having an outwardly extending pouring lip and that includessugar (or other coating) adhered thereto, adding water to the roasterbowl, and placing a cover on top of the roaster bowl (see, e.g., FIGS. 1and 6A, discussed further below, which show cover 300 mounted on roasterbowl 200 that includes pouring lip 220). The cover when mounted on theroaster bowl forms a steam vent between the cover and roaster bowl, andthe steam vent is disposed adjacent to the roaster bowl's pouring lip(see, e.g., steam vent 330 in FIG. 6A, which is disposed adjacent topouring lip 220). The method further comprises (with the cover mountedon the roaster bowl) heating the roaster bowl until the water within thebowl is boiling, maintaining the boiling of the water to produce steam,and then dissolving the sugar adhered to the roaster bowl by means ofthe produced steam (that condenses on the roaster bowl's inner surfaceand dissolves the sugar). The method further comprises venting some ofthe produced steam through the steam vent that, in turn, makes contactwith the pouring lip, and then dissolves the sugar adhered to thepouring lip via the contacting steam.

As an aspect of the invention, the water is boiled to produce asufficient amount of steam sufficient to fill the interior of theroaster bowl, and in which the first dissolving step dissolves the sugarthat is adhered to the underside of the cover.

As another aspect of the invention, the second dissolving step (i.e.,dissolving the sugar adhered to the pouring lip) includes the steps ofcondensing steam on the pouring lip, dissolving the sugar on (at least aportion of) the pouring lip in the condensed steam, and dripping thecondensed steam with the dissolved sugar into the roaster bowl (due tothe pitched pouring lip).

As a further aspect of the invention, the pouring lip includes an outeredge, the outer edge being located at a distal terminus of a length ofthe pouring lip (i.e., the edge of the pouring lip 220 furthest awayfrom the cover 300, such as shown in FIG. 6A), and the second dissolvingstep dissolves sugar adhered to the entire pouring lip including theupper surface of the outer edge.

As a feature of this aspect, the length of the pouring lip is between0.75 inches and 1 inch.

As yet another aspect of the invention, the pouring lip is locatedexternal to the vent.

As yet a further aspect of the invention, the roaster bowl is part of aroasting and glazing apparatus that further includes a housing and aheater, in which the roaster bowl is disposed at least partially withinthe housing, and the heater also is disposed within the housing andserves to carry out the heating step.

As a feature of this aspect, the cleaning method further comprises thesteps of removing the cover from the roaster bowl, attaching a pour trayto the side of the housing where the pouring lip of the roaster bowl isdisposed (see, e.g., pour tray 400 shown in FIG. 9), placing a panunderneath the pour tray (see, e.g., pan 600 shown in FIG. 9), andraising the roaster bowl to allow the water within it (that includesdissolved sugar) to pour onto the pour tray via the pouring lip. Thepoured water then, in turn, flows from the pour tray into the pan.

As a further feature, the pour tray has a curved edge (e.g., edge 430shown in FIG. 3) that is wider than the width of the pouring lip (e.g.,pouring lip 220 shown in FIG. 3). The pour tray is attached to thehousing adjacent to the pouring lip (see, e.g., FIGS. 9 and 22—FIG. 22showing the attachment of the underside of pour tray 400 to the housingof the roasting and glazing apparatus) so that water spillage onto thehousing is prevented during the pouring step.

As yet another feature, the pour tray has two side edges and a sidewall(e.g., sidewall 440 in FIG. 1) sufficiently high to also preventspillage of water onto the housing during the pouring step. The sidewallextends upward from the two side edges and the curved edge of the pourtray. The pour tray also has a slope that extends downward from thecurved edge (see, e.g., FIG. 2, which shows the downward slope of aportion of the pour tray 400). The slope assists in the flow of thewater with sugar dissolved therein into the pan during the flowing step(see, e.g., FIG. 9, which shows the use of pour tray 400 during pouringof the water with sugar dissolved therein from the roaster bowl).

In accordance with further apparatus embodiments of the invention, aroasting and glazing apparatus comprises a roaster housing, a roasterbowl, a removable cover and a heater. The roaster bowl is disposedwithin the roaster housing and includes an outwardly extending pouringlip. The roaster bowl further includes a rotatably mounted and removableagitator (see, e.g., FIG. 4A, which shows agitator 230 mounted withinroaster bowl 200). The cover is mounted on the roaster bowl and, whenmounted, a vent is formed between the roaster bowl and cover, extendingaround a portion of a perimeter of the roaster bowl (see, e.g., vent 330in FIGS. 6A and 7). The vent is disposed adjacent to at least a portionof the pouring lip of the roaster bowl. The heater is disposed withinthe roaster housing and is able to selectively heat the roaster bowl.The roasting and glazing apparatus further includes a removable pourtray that is coupled to the side of the roaster where the pouring lip ofthe roaster bowl is disposed (see, e.g., pour tray 400 shown in FIG. 9,where pour tray 400 is mountable on and removable from the roasterhousing via mounting pins 190 . . . see, e.g., FIGS. 15, 16).

As an aspect of the apparatus embodiment, sugar (or other coating) isadhered to the roaster bowl (as a result, e.g., of the below-describedroasting/glazing processes). Water is disposed within the roaster bowl(e.g., an operator pours a sufficient amount of water into the roasterbowl at the beginning of the cleaning process). The heater is adapted toheat the roaster bowl in order to cause some of the water within theroaster bowl to boil and to form steam that, in turn, causes the sugarthat is adhered to the roaster bowl to dissolve.

As another aspect of the apparatus embodiment, sugar is adhered to thepouring lip of the roaster bowl, and water is disposed within theroaster bowl, and wherein the vent (formed between the roaster bowl andthe cover) and the roaster bowl's pouring lip are suitably positionedand sized so as to cause/allow steam that is exiting the roaster bowlduring a cleaning operation (further discussed below) to condense on thepouring lip, to dissolve (via the condensed steam) the sugar that isadhered to the pouring lip, and then to cause the dissolved sugar withinthe condensed steam to drip into the roaster bowl (due to the pitchedpouring lip), thus cleaning the upper surface of the roaster bowl'spouring lip.

As a further aspect of the apparatus embodiment, the roasting andglazing apparatus further comprises a pan that is disposed underneaththe end of the pour tray (with the pour tray coupled to the roaster),thus capturing the poured water (with sugar therein) after the cleaningprocess.

As a feature of this aspect, the pouring lip includes an outer edge witha curvature, and the pour tray's proximal end (the end near the roasterbowl) includes a curved edge that has a curvature that substantiallycorresponds to the curvature of the outer edge of the pouring lip (see,e.g., FIGS. 1 and 9, which shows the curvature of the pouring lip andthe curvature of the end of the pour tray that is adjacent to theroaster bowl).

As a further feature, the width of the curved edge of the pour tray iswider than the width of the outer edge of the pouring lip.

As yet another feature, the pour tray's distal end (i.e., the endfurthest from the roaster bowl) is narrower than the pour tray'sproximal end (i.e., the end closest to the roaster bowl), and the pourtray includes an upwardly extending sidewall that is sufficient inheight to prevent spillage onto the roaster housing during a pouringoperation during which water is poured from the roaster bowl onto thepour tray.

As yet an additional feature, the proximal end of the pour tray includesa slope, relative to the top of the housing, descending downward towardthe distal end of the pour tray (see, e.g., FIGS. 2 and 6A).

As a further aspect of the apparatus embodiment, the pour tray includesan upper surface that is at least partially disposed above the topsurface of the roaster housing (see, e.g., FIG. 2), and the pour trayfurther includes a support member that extends downward from its uppersurface (see, e.g., FIG. 15). The pour tray's downwardly extendingsupport member extends adjacent to a side surface of the roaster housingand is removably coupled to that side surface (see, e.g., FIG. 22 showsthe downwardly extending support member 450 coupled to the side ofroaster housing 110).

As an aspect of this feature, the side surface of the roaster housingincludes a pair of mounting pins, and the pour tray's downwardlyextending support member includes a pair of engagement apertures thatreceive the mounting pins when the pour tray is coupled to the roasterhousing (see, e.g., FIG. 22, which shows the mounting pins 190 disposedwithin the engagement openings 452).

As yet a further aspect of the apparatus embodiment, the cover includesa rolled edge that extends partially, and not fully, around the bottomof the cover's side surface (see, e.g., FIG. 11, which shows the cover'srolled edge 320). The roaster bowl includes a channel that extends atleast partially around the roaster bowl's top surface (see, e.g., FIG.4A, which shows a channel 210 within roaster bowl 200). The channel issized to receive the rolled edge of the cover when mounted on theroaster bowl. The vent extends between the roaster bowl and the coverthat corresponds to a location of the cover that does not include therolled edge.

As an aspect of this feature, the vent extends between the roaster bowland the cover for a distance that corresponds to at least 15% of theperimeter of the bottom of the side surface of the cover (e.g., seeFIGS. 7 and 10).

These and other embodiments, aspects and features of the presentinvention are described in the following detailed description.

In addition, various other objects, advantages and features of thepresent invention will become readily apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art from the following detailed description of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description, given by way of example and notintended to limit the present invention solely thereto, will best beappreciated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals denote like elements and parts, in which:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are schematic illustrations of perspective, front andtop views, respectively, of the roasting and glazing apparatus/assemblyof the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a schematic illustration of the roaster bowl with theagitator in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4B is a schematic illustration of an exploded view of the roasterbowl and the agitator of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the front panel of the roastingand glazing apparatus/assembly of the present invention;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic illustrations of cross-sectional views ofthe roasting and glazing apparatus/assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 6C is an enlarged view particularly showing the top of the driveshaft extending upwards through the roaster bowl's center column;

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of an operator adding water to thecover's water reservoir during the glazing process in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration that shows the roaster bowl at itshighest position while emptying a batch of roasted/glazed nuts inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration that shows water being emptied fromthe roaster bowl after a cleaning process in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of the inventive cover of theroasting and glazing apparatus/assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration showing the cover of FIG. 10 placedon the roaster bowl of the roasting and glazing apparatus/assembly ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are enlarged, perspective top and bottom views,respectively, of the nut roaster cover, particularly showing the cover'swater reservoir of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is another schematic illustration of the nut roaster cover ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are schematic illustrations showing the roaster bowl ina partially raised position and the fully raised position, respectively,in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 17-22 are schematic illustrations showing various componentswithin the roaster housing and used to illustrate the non-lineardampening system of the present invention;

FIGS. 23A-23E are schematic illustrations that show the roaster bowl atdifferent raised/lowered positions and further used to describe theoperation of the non-linear dampening system of the present invention;

FIG. 24A is a schematic illustration of a perspective, bottom view ofthe pour tray of the present invention;

FIG. 24B is a schematic illustration of a mounting peg used to mount thepour tray on the roaster housing in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIGS. 25A-25G are schematic illustrations showing various views of theroaster bowl agitator of the present invention;

FIG. 26 is a schematic illustration of a cross-sectional view of theroaster bowl and the installed agitator of the present invention;

FIGS. 27A-C are schematic illustrations used to discuss the operation ofa blade of the agitator during a mixing operation of the presentinvention;

FIG. 28 schematically illustrates the mixing of nuts within a mixture inthe roaster bowl in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 29 is a schematic illustration showing a shield disposed on thedrive shaft of the roasting and glazing apparatus/assembly in accordancewith the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The roasting and glazing apparatus/assembly of the present invention isable to roast and/or glaze nuts to produce roasted and sugar glazednuts, and the description herein is provided for illustrative purposesin connection with the cooking (i.e., roasting and/or glazing) of nuts.However, the roasting and glazing apparatus/assembly of the presentinvention may be utilized to roast and/or glaze other food items, and itis to be understood that the invention is not limited for use with nuts.For instance, the invention may be utilized to process a variety ofother types of edible items including oats, beans (e.g., coffee beans),seeds (e.g., squash, pumpkin, etc.), dried fruit (e.g., dried apricots,raisins, etc.), granola, a mixture of granola and fruit, vegetables(e.g., peas, etc.), and the like. The invention may further be employedto roast coffee beans and the like to produce products that may be usedto produce liquid beverages, such as coffee, including flavored-coffee,and the like.

Moreover, as described below, the invention is discussed in the contextof roasting nuts (called, for convenience, the roasting process orstep), followed by the glazing of the roasted nuts (called, forconvenience, the glazing process or step) to produce roasted/glazednuts. However, the invention further entails roasting alone or glazingalone, which may be appropriate for the processing of other food items,such as one or more of those food items identified above. Accordingly,the invention is not limited to cooking that must include both roastingand glazing.

Therefore, and in view of the foregoing, use of various genericterms/phrases herein, including “roaster,” “nut roaster,” “nut roasterassembly,” “roasting and glazing apparatus,” “roasting and glazingassembly,” “machine” and the like, are interchangeably used herein forconvenience, and shall be understood to include devices that roast, thatglaze, and that both roast and glaze nuts and other edible items, unlessclearly stated otherwise. Similarly, use of the term “roaster bowl” (andother like terms) shall not provide limiting effect of such component.Names of components are provided to aid the reader in understanding whatis being referenced. In addition, the term “glazed nuts” as used hereinrefers to sugar glazed nuts. Sugar may include other suitable coatingswith which the apparatus of the present invention may be used. Moreover,the term “roasting” as used herein shall include heating, including dryheating or wet heating. The term “roasted nuts” as used herein includesnuts that are heated in the manner disclosed herein.

Still further, the figures are presented to aid in the understanding ofthe invention, but are not intended to limit the invention solely toprecisely what is shown. For example, the illustrations show aparticular appearance of the illustrative roasting and glazingapparatus/assembly (e.g., such as the rectangular shape and relativesize of the roaster's housing), but it is not intended for the inventionto solely have such appearance. Moreover, explanations about relatedfunctions or constructions known in the art are omitted for the sake ofclarity in understanding the concept of the invention, and to avoidobscuring the invention with unnecessary detail.

As will be appreciated from the description herein, the inventiveroasting and glazing apparatus/assembly includes or otherwise embodiesmultiple features, aspects and benefits. For convenience, thesefeatures, aspects and benefits are divided into the following groups ofdiscussion: (A) Cover with Liquid Dispersing Design; (B) Bowl Movement:Cantilever with Pistons; (C) Steam Cleaning and Detachable Pour Tray;(D) Agitator and Bowl; (E) Smart Cleaning Cycle; (F) Front PanelDisplay; and (G) Additional Features. These section headings and allother headings used herein are provided for convenience and are notintended to limit the invention in any manner.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 thereof areschematic illustrations that show perspective, front and top views,respectively, of roasting and glazing apparatus/assembly 100 (forconvenience, “roaster assembly 100” or “nut roaster assembly 100”) inaccordance with the present invention. As illustrated, nut roasterassembly 100 includes various primary components, including a housing110, a roaster bowl 200 (only partially shown in FIGS. 1-3), a cover300, a pour tray 400, a front panel display 500, and a cantilever arm120. These components, associated components, and other components ofnut roaster assembly 100 are described in detail below.

In providing a detailed description of the nut roaster assembly of thepresent invention, a basic discussion of the nut roaster's operation isset forth first, followed by a detailed discussion of the structures andfunctions of the above-mentioned groups.

Operation of Inventive Nut Roaster

During normal operation of the inventive nut roaster, an operatorcarries out various steps as described below. As would be appreciated bythose of ordinary skill in the art, some of the steps may be modified,or removed altogether, as deemed appropriate by the operator.

(1) First, the operator turns a Main Power On/Off switch 510 on. Switch510 is disposed on the inventive nut roaster's front panel 500 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, and best represented in FIG. 5.

(2) The operator adds 8 oz. of water, or any suitable amount of water asdiscussed below, and a certain amount of a nut mix to the roaster bowl200. For example, the nut mix is 2 to 2¼ lbs. of nuts, sugar andflavoring. Roaster bowl 200 with an installed agitator 230 is shown withcover 300 removed in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4B shows an exploded view of roasterbowl 200 and agitator 230. The particular structures of roaster bowl 200and agitator 230 are discussed further below. The nut mix may be apre-packaged commercial nut mix, or any other suitable mixture of nutsand other ingredients prepared for the purpose of roasting and glazingnuts.

If increased cooking time is desired, additional water may be added. Thequantity of water may be up to 20 oz., or any suitable variationthereof. If decreased cooking time is desired, less water is added,usually with a minimum of 4 oz. of water.

(3) The operator then depresses the Start button 560 disposed on frontpanel 500 shown in FIG. 5 to turn on the nut roaster's motor and heater.FIGS. 6A and 6B are front and side cross-sectional views, respectively,of nut roaster assembly 100. As shown in these figures, a motor assembly112, including a motor therein, and heater 186 are located below roasterbowl 200.

(4) Activation of the motor causes the agitator disposed within theroaster bowl to rotate.

(5) While the agitator rotates and the roaster bowl is heated, nutroaster assembly 100 cooks the mix and roasts the nuts over a period oftime. During this time, the following events occur. The water within theroaster bowl increases in temperature, which causes the sugar to turninto a brown syrup, becoming thicker and gradually adhering to the nuts.As the heater continues to heat the mixture and the agitator continuesto mix the roaster bowl's contents, the water eventually boils off,which results in the sugar syrup eventually drying and turning into awhite powder that adheres to the nuts. As the roaster bowl temperaturecontinues to increase, the white powder sugar coating on the nuts turnsinto a dark brown liquid coating. The temperature at this point is inthe vicinity of 345° F. When the roaster bowl reaches a temperature ofapproximately 355° F., the dark brown liquid coating on the nuts startsto turn into a whitish/brown powdery shell. The roaster bowl is furtherheated until it reaches a temperature of approximately 360° F. (or inthe vicinity of this temperature), at which time the heater turns offand a “Time Remaining” display begins a count down to zero from 120seconds. During this 120 second countdown, residual heat within theroaster bowl continues to dry the whitish/brown powdery shell on thenuts.

During the entire process, the temperature of the roaster bowl is shownon the “Actual Temperature” display 530 on front panel 500 shown in FIG.5. Front panel 500 also includes the “Time Remaining” display 540, whichshows the above-mentioned countdown.

(6) After the 120 second countdown, a buzzer within the nut roastersounds, which prompts the operator to press the “Mute Buzzer” button(FIG. 5: button 550). The operator then places cover 300 over roasterbowl 200, and adds 3 oz. of water into a water reservoir 310 withincover 300 to create the glaze (i.e., to produce a shiny coat on thenuts). FIG. 7 schematically illustrates the operator adding water intowater reservoir 310. The structure of cover 300 including waterreservoir 310 are discussed in the sections that follow with referenceto FIGS. 10-14.

The water added to the water reservoir slowly enters the roaster bowlthrough small openings (called “metering holes” herein) at the bottom ofthe reservoir. The water that enters the roaster bowl is turned intosteam, which escapes through the cover's steam vent 330. The escapingsteam is schematically shown as arrows 360 in FIG. 7 (also see FIG. 11,which better shows steam vent 330). This process/step of adding waterinto water reservoir 310 (which ultimately causes steam to escapethrough steam vent 330) is referred to herein, for convenience, as theglazing step.

(7) After the steam clears, which takes about 50 to 60 seconds after thewater is fully dispensed within the roaster bowl, the operator pressesthe “Stop” button 570 on the front panel 500 (FIG. 5), which causes theagitator within the roaster bowl to stop turning and the heater to turnoff. The operator then removes cover 300.

(8) The operator lifts cantilever arm 120 to tilt roaster bowl 200 toits highest position, which is schematically illustrated in FIG. 8. Inthis position, most if not all of the roasted/glazed nuts 700 areemptied into a cooling pan 600.

(9) The operator may use tongs or other appropriate tool to assist inremoving all of the roasted/glazed nuts from roaster bowl 200.Preferably, the operator separates and spreads the nuts evenly incooling pan 600. The nuts should be allowed to cool (e.g., for at least20 minutes) to allow the nuts' sugar coating to fully harden/dry beforethe roasted/glazed nuts are packaged within individual-sized papercones, cups or other containers, or packaged within a larger containeror bag.

The present invention also entails a novel cleaning process, which isdescribed below. During production of the roasted/glazed nuts, sugarfrom the mix may coat the inside of roaster bowl 200 and/or the agitatorwithin the roaster bowl. If too much sugar builds up, the nut roasterassembly should be cleaned. Generally, the nut roaster assembly shouldbe cleaned after a certain number of batches of roasted/glazed nuts aremade (e.g., 10 batches) in order to minimize the amount of sugarbuild-up within the roaster bowl. If too much sugar remains within theroaster bowl during the herein-described cooking process, a burnt aromaor taste to the roasted/glazed nuts may result.

Finally, upon completion of all production, such as at the end of a dayand/or after cleaning the nut roaster assembly, the operator turns MainPower On/Off switch 510 off to turn off the nut roaster.

As mentioned above, front panel 500 includes Main Power On/Off switch510. Front panel 500 also includes other components, including a SystemStatus display 520 and service technician control buttons. Front panel500 also includes a “Clean” button 580 (FIG. 5) that initiates acleaning cycle/process in accordance with the present invention.

Nut Roaster Cleaning Process

There are three versions of the cleaning cycle/process of the presentinvention. In accordance with a first version, the clean cycle isprogrammed to extend for a predetermined amount of time. In a secondversion, the length of the clean cycle is manually selected by theoperator. In a third version, a so-called Smart Cleaning cycle isperformed. The first and second versions of the cleaning cycle aredescribed as follows. The third version, that is, the Smart Cleaningcycle, is discussed in section (E) below.

To clean the nut roaster assembly, in accordance with the first versionof cleaning cycle, the following steps are performed.

(1) The operator pours 48 oz. of water into roaster bowl 200, placescover 300 over the roaster bowl, and presses Clean button 580 on thefront panel 500 to initiate the clean cycle. The clean cycle ispre-programmed to last for 5 minutes, during which nut roaster assembly100 heats roaster bowl 200 until the water begins to boil.

(2) The water continues to boil for the remainder of the clean cycle. Asthe water is boiling, steam is created that dissolves sugar that isstuck-on (i.e., adhered to) roaster bowl 200, agitator 230, and theunderside of cover 300. This step, called herein for convenience thesteam-cleaning step/phase, is discussed in greater detail within thesections that follow.

Optionally, the clean cycle can be pre-programmed to last longer orshorter than 5 minutes (e.g., 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 6 minutes, 7minutes), if desired. Operator monitoring is not required during the5-minute clean cycle (or other amount of time, if programmed) since thenut roaster's heater automatically turns off when the clean cycle iscomplete.

Rather than being pre-programmed, the amount of time of the clean cyclecan be manually selected by the operator (i.e., the second version). Insuch version, the operator designates the number of minutes of the cleancycle. In the third version, the Smart Cleaning cycle is employed, whichis discussed in section (E) below.

(3) Upon completion of the clean cycle (of any of the clean cycleversions), the operator removes cover 300, installs pour tray 400 ontothe roaster housing 110 (details of the pour tray further discussedbelow), provides a suitable pan, tray, bucket or other suitable device(e.g., pan 600) under the edge of pour tray 400, and slowly liftscantilever arm 120 to raise roaster bowl 200, such as shown in FIG. 9.As roaster bowl 200 is raised, the water within the roaster bowl poursonto pour tray 400 that directs the water into pan 600. The operatorlifts cantilever arm 120 gradually to its highest position to cause allof the water to vacate from roaster bowl 200.

(4) The operator then, preferably using a heat safe glove, removes thevery hot agitator from within roaster bowl 200, and proceeds to cleanany remaining residue from the agitator, cover 300, and pour tray 400 ina sink.

(5) The operator cleans off any remaining residue in roaster bowl 200using damp paper towels or a clean sponge, or any other suitablecleaning tools.

(6) The operator may further clean the outside of the nut roasterassembly 100 using a wet rag or small utility brush, or any othersuitable cleaning tools.

After nut roaster assembly 100 is run through a cleaning cycle, furtherbatches of roasted nuts may be made. If no further batches are needed,the operator turns off nut roaster assembly 100 by switching Main PowerOn/Off switch 510 to the Off position.

Structures/Functions of Inventive Roasting and Glazing Apparatus

Having described the basic operation of the nut roaster assembly 100 ofthe present invention, including a discussion of the cleaning process, adetailed discussion of each of the above-identified groups of features,aspects and benefits are set out as follows.

(A) Cover with Liquid Dispersing Design

Cover 300 of nut roaster assembly 100 is structured to be placed overroaster bowl 200, such as shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 7.

FIG. 10 schematically shows cover 300 without the other components ofthe nut roaster assembly. As shown, cover 300 includes water reservoir310 recessed within the cover's top surface 302. Cover 300 also includesa top handle 340 extending from the cover's top surface 302, a sidehandle 350 coupled to the handle's side surface 304, and a rolled edge320 that extends partially around the bottom of side surface 304. Sidehandle 350 can be used to hang the cover for storage on a peg or hangerextending from a wall, cabinet or other object.

FIG. 11 shows cover 300 disposed on roaster bowl 200 (with only the topportion of the roaster bowl shown). As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11,the cover's side surface 304 flares outwardly from its upper edge to itslower edge.

The Cover's Water Reservoir

The cover's water reservoir 310, shown best in the top view of FIG. 3and the enlarged view of FIG. 12, includes metering holes 312 within thereservoir's bottom surface. As discussed above, water is added to thereservoir during the glazing step of the cooking process. Metering holes312 allow the water to flow into roaster bowl 200 during this step.

Metering holes 312 disperse the water within the roaster bowl at a setinterval of time. That is, metering holes 312 are precisely sized todisperse the water into the roaster bowl in a gradual and controlledmanner. For example, metering holes 312 may disperse the water over aperiod of 10 to 15 seconds (i.e., a flow rate of 3 ounces over 10 to 15seconds, or the proportional equivalent flow rate for a different amountof water). The flow rate may be greater or slower (e.g., a flow rate of3 ounces over more than 15 seconds, a flow rate of 3 ounces over atleast 30 seconds, etc.). In a preferred version, the flow rate disperses3 ounces of water over a period of between 30 and 35 seconds. Water isdispersed within the nut roaster over multiple revolutions of theagitator while it is turning, thus allowing the water to be dispersedover the nuts more evenly which, in turn, results in better coatedglazed nuts.

Moreover, by producing steam over such relatively long period of time,less steam is instantaneously produced at any given instant of time ascompared to the amount of steam instantly produced by the addition of 3oz. of water from a measuring cup directly into the roaster bowl (i.e.,without the use of the herein-described inventive cover). Cover 300,with water reservoir 310, therefore prevents or otherwise minimizes therisk of scalding the operator by any steam that is produced after wateris added to the water reservoir. That is, after the cooking cycle, theroaster bowl is typically at a temperature of over 360° F. When water,which may be cold water, is added to the roaster bowl at thistemperature, a burst of steam is produced. However, due to thestructure/components of cover 300, the size of each burst of steam thatis produced at any given instant is minimized.

In addition, as further discussed below, steam that is produced isdirected away from the operator so that scalding of an operator's handor arm is avoided.

The metering holes 312 within water reservoir 310 may have the sameshape and size, or have different shapes and sizes. Moreover, thelocation of each metering hole 312 within the reservoir may be differentthan that shown in the figures. For instance, in FIG. 12, three meteringholes are provided: two of the holes disposed on opposite ends of thereservoir, with the third in the center (near a side edge). The meteringholes 312 are also shown in the enlarged, bottom view of FIG. 13, whichillustrates a portion of the underside of cover 300. However, themetering holes may be located elsewhere within the water reservoir.Moreover, while three metering holes are shown in the various figures,the water reservoir may have a different number of metering holes, suchas one, two, four or more.

FIGS. 3 and 12 (and other figures) schematically illustrate the locationand shape of water reservoir 310. The location and shape of the waterreservoir provide additional benefits discussed below. Water reservoir310 is sufficiently deep, such as shown in FIGS. 6A and 7, toaccommodate all of the water (e.g., 3 oz. of water) that is needed toglaze the nuts. However, the shape, size and depth of water reservoir310 may be different than that described herein and shown in thedrawings, as would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art.

Water reservoir 310 may be a separate component that is disposed withinan aperture of the cover and secured thereto by any suitable means(e.g., welded, bolted, etc.). In the version shown in the drawings,water reservoir is a separate component and includes a raised edge 314that is disposed above the cover's top surface 302 (see FIGS. 10 and11). In a variation, water reservoir 310 is integral with cover 300(i.e., made from the same piece of material).

The Cover's Rolled Edge and the Steam Vent

As illustrated in FIGS. 10, 11 and 14, the cover's side surface 304includes a rolled edge 320 that extends partially, but not fully, aroundthe cover's bottom perimeter. As shown, a non-rolled edge 322 of thebottom of side surface 304 represents that portion of the cover thatdoes not include rolled edge 320. That is, rolled edge 320 extendsroughly 80% around the cover's perimeter, with non-rolled edge 322representing the remaining 20%. It is noted that the rolled edge mayhave a different length, such as extending 70%, 75%, or 85% around thecover's perimeter, or another appropriate length.

Rolled edge 320 is shown thicker than the cover's side surface 304, andgenerally is rounded, but the rolled edge may have a different shape,thickness and size than that shown in the figures. The term “rollededge” is used herein for convenience to represent an edge shape that isdifferent from the shape of the non-rolled edge. Hence, rolled edge 320may have a shape that does not appear to be “rolled.”

Rolled edge 320 serves to form a seal between cover 300 and roaster bowl200 when the cover is placed on top of the roaster bowl. As perhaps bestshown in FIG. 4A, roaster bowl 200 includes a groove or channel 210(also called herein “bowl channel”) that extends partially around theperimeter of the top of the roaster bowl and is shaped to receive thecover's rolled edge 320 when the cover is placed on top of the roasterbowl. Bowl channel 210 does not extend fully around the roaster bowl andthus is “keyed” so that cover 300 is correctly positioned (i.e.,correctly placed and angularly aligned) when the entire rolled edge 320of the cover is within the bowl channel.

To further facilitate proper alignment of cover 300 on roaster bowl 200by the operator, the cover and roaster bowl include alignment markings224, 324, as shown in FIG. 3. Roaster bowl 200 includes alignment mark224, which is in the shaped of a diamond. Cover 300 includes, on itsrolled edge 320, alignment mark 324, which is in the shaped of an arrow(or triangle). Accordingly, the operator places cover 300 on bowl 200 atthe orientation at which the two alignments marks are adjacent to oneanother.

The rolled edge may be a component separate from cover 300, that is, notbe an integral part of cover 300. For instance, the rolled edge may be agasket or other suitable sealing device. Such component may be glued orotherwise permanently fixed to the bottom of cover 300, or may beseparable from cover 300. In yet another variation, a sealing component,such as a gasket, may be fixed to the top of roaster bowl 200, therebyproviding a seal between roaster bowl 200 and cover 300 when mountedthereon.

Roaster bowl 200 includes a pouring lip 220 as shown in FIG. 4A (alsoshown in other figures including FIGS. 1 and 11). Pouring lip 220extends around the perimeter of roaster bowl 200 where bowl channel 210does not extend, although the pouring lip and bowl channel overlapslightly at their respective ends, as illustrated in FIG. 4A.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 11, when cover 300 is placed on roasterbowl 200, with the cover's rolled edge 320 properly disposed within thebowl channel, non-rolled edge 322 of the cover is positioned immediatelyabove the bowl's pouring lip 220. Then, without a rolled edge 320extending from the cover's side surface 304 in the vicinity immediatelyabove the bowl's pouring lip 220, an opening 330 is formed at suchlocation. Opening 330 is referred to herein as steam vent 330 since itserves as a vent for steam created during the herein-described glazingstep. As illustrated in FIG. 7, steam (represented by arrows 360)escapes from within the roaster bowl 200 through steam vent 330.

Still referring to FIG. 7, when cover 300 is placed on roaster bowl 200as shown in the figure, water reservoir 310 and steam vent 330 aredisposed on diametrically opposite sides of the cover. Accordingly, whensteam is produced during the herein-described glazing step (i.e., whenwater is added to water reservoir 310), the steam is gradually producedas a result of the measured dispensing of water via water reservoir 310and such gradually produced steam escapes from within the roaster bowlonly through (or at least mostly only through) steam vent 330. Hence,steam escapes at a position of the cover that is disposed on theopposite side of the water reservoir, thus preventing scalding of theoperator's hand and arm while filling the water reservoir.

As mentioned above and shown in the various figures, cover 300 includesa top handle 340. Top handle 340 is made of heat-resistant plastic (orother suitable heat-resistant material) and is used to lift cover 300from roaster bowl 200. Top handle 340 may be held by the operator duringthe glazing process, if desired. For instance, the operator, whileholding a measuring cup filled with water in one hand, pours water intowater reservoir 310 while holding the cover's top handle with the otherhand (e.g., for balance or other reason). Since the cover's top handle340 is disposed in the center of the cover, there is sufficient distancebetween both the top handle and the water reservoir, and the top handleand the steam vent, to allow the operator to safely hold the top handleduring the glazing step.

Moreover, the relatively narrow, curved shape of water reservoir 310,which is disposed near the outer periphery of cover 300, prevents a handholding the top handle 340 from getting burned by any steam that maycome up through the metering holes 312 within water reservoir 310. Waterreservoir 310, however, is sufficiently wide to allow an operator toeasily pour water into the water reservoir using a standard measuringcup.

As discussed herein, and schematically shown in FIG. 7, steam vent 330,which is relatively long, is in the vicinity of the bowl's pouring lip220, which advantageously causes all or nearly all of the steam that isproduced during the nut glazing and cleaning processes to escape roasterbowl 200 at a location that is on a single side of the nut roaster.Thus, the steam is not directed out from the front or the immediate backof the nut roaster assembly, thereby minimizing the impact of the steamon the operator standing in front, and a wall, cabinet or other objectthat may be disposed behind the nut roaster assembly. As for impactingobjects on the side of the nut roaster assembly where steam escapesduring use (called herein, for convenience, the “evacuation side”)(e.g., the right side shown in FIG. 7), that side is utilized todispense the nuts from the bowl after being roasted/glazed, and also isthe side from which the cleaning water is dispensed after the cleaningprocess, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Therefore, a company or other userof the inventive nut roaster assembly generally would not placeequipment, food, or other items near the evacuation side of the nutroaster assembly.

Moreover, by restricting the location of escaping steam (that verylikely includes dissolved sugar), objects, shelves, and other itemslocated behind, in front of, or at the non-evacuation side of the nutroaster assembly are not coated over time by a layer of sugar and thusminimizes the cleanup of these areas. The above-described metering ofwater into the roaster bowl via the water reservoir minimizes the sizeof the bursts of steam that are created, further reducing the amount ofsugar that escapes and therefore minimizes the cleanup of surroundingareas.

(B) Bowl Movement: Cantilever with Pistons System

Nut roaster assembly 100 includes cantilever arm 120, shown in FIG. 1and various other figures, along with other structure to be discussedherein (called “Cantilever with Pistons System” herein, for convenience)to enable the operator to lift and lower roaster bowl 200 safely andwith certain advantages and benefits discussed herein.

Cantilever arm 120 is coupled to nut roaster housing 110 via a sleevebearing 122 shown in FIGS. 3 and 6B. Cantilever arm 120 optionally mayinclude a grip (e.g., a rubber hand grip) on its open end. Cantileverarm 120 turns a lever arm shaft 124, shown in FIG. 6B. Lever arm shaft124 is coupled to a bowl assembly 180 and serves to raise and lowerroaster bowl 200. Bowl assembly 180 is shown in FIG. 17, which isdiscussed further below.

As discussed herein, roaster bowl 200 is raised and lowered after boththe cooking and cleaning processes. The cross-sectional views of FIGS.6A and 6B show roaster bowl 200 in the fully lowered position where itis disposed mostly within the nut roaster housing 110. FIG. 15 showsroaster bowl 200 disposed at roughly a 30° position, and FIG. 16 showsroaster bowl 200 disposed at a roughly 105° position (i.e., the fullyraised position). FIG. 8 also shows roaster bowl 200 at the fully raisedposition at the completion of the glazing process. The roaster bowl'sfully raised position may be any position at which the contents ofroaster bowl 200 may easily be distributed onto a pan or tray, andincludes angles between the range of 70° and 120° (or even higher ifdesired) relative to the top surface of housing 110, although a range of95° to 110° is preferred.

Nut roaster assembly 100 employs a unique non-linear dampening systemthat enables the operator to easily lift roaster bowl 200 from its fullylowered position to its fully raised position and, conversely, to easilylower roaster bowl 200 from its fully raised position to its fullylowered position. Also, during such lifting and lowering, the non-lineardampening system prevents roaster bowl 200 from quickly falling (fromany position) in the event the operator lets go of cantilever arm 120.

The inventive non-linear dampening system provides additional protectionto prevent injury within a “falling zone.” The falling zone is theregion that includes housing opening 130 as well as the area immediatelyabove opening 130 shown in FIG. 15. In particular, the falling zoneincludes any area that can be hit by roaster bowl 200 as it is loweredfrom the 30° position to the fully lowered position.

FIGS. 17-22 and 23A-23E collectively illustrate the non-linear dampeningsystem. As shown in these various figures to be explained in detailbelow, two gas-dampened pistons 140, 150 and a rotating lever 160 areemployed to assist and control the raising and lowering of roaster bowl200.

Piston 140 is a relatively large piston (and thus referred to herein aslarge piston 140) and is fully shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, and partiallyshown in FIGS. 17, 18 and 22. As best shown in FIGS. 17 and 19, largepiston 140 is connected at one end to a bowl support 182 to which thebottom of roaster bowl 200 is fixed. As best shown in FIG. 19, largepiston 140 is connected at its other end to a cross member 170 thatextends across and near the center of the bottom of housing 110. FIG. 22shows cross member 170, with large piston 140 coupled to the crossmember.

Piston 150 is a relatively small piston (and thus referred to herein assmall piston 150). Small piston 150 is fully shown in FIGS. 20 and 21(and FIGS. 23A-23E discussed further below), and partially shown inFIGS. 17, 18, 19 and 22. As shown in these figures, small piston 150 isconnected at one end to a mid-section of rotating lever 160. Smallpiston 150 is connected at its other end to a bracket 126, which isfixed to housing 110 (at connection point 152), as shown in FIGS. 17 and19-22.

Rotating lever 160 also is connected at one end to bowl support 182 (atconnection point 154), as shown in FIGS. 18, 20 and 21. Rotating lever160 includes, at its other side, a hooked end 162 that includes anopening 164 (hooked opening 164). As further discussed below andexplained with reference to FIGS. 23A-23E, lever 160 engages (at itshooked end 162) a pin 184 (e.g., peg) that extends from bowl support 182when roaster bowl 200 is lowered from the 30° position to the fullylowered position. Small piston 150 is engaged during this time.

Each of the above-mentioned connections of large piston 140, smallpiston 150, and rotating lever 160 are pivot-type connections, and anyappropriate technique or device to facilitate the pivot connection maybe employed.

In the illustrative assembly, large piston 140 is a gas spring with a140 mm stroke, 70 pounds nominal. Small piston 150 is a gas spring witha 90 mm stroke, 15 pounds nominal. Thus, the large piston provides asubstantially greater counter force than the small piston. Suchpistons/gas springs are well known in the art and thus further technicaldescription herein is omitted. It should be noted that the pistonsprovided are merely exemplary, and other pistons with other strokes andcharacteristics may be employed. Moreover, pistons 140 and 150 may be oftypes different than gas springs.

Pistons 140 and 150 produce a counterforce to the weight of bowlassembly 180, which includes roaster bowl 200 and the components fixedthereto. For instance, roaster bowl 200 may weigh in the vicinity of 6to 7 lbs. and the other components of the bowl assembly may weigh inexcess of 10 lbs. Moreover, the weight of roaster bowl 200 includes itscontents, such as nuts and/or water. Accordingly, the counterforce ofthe pistons thus provides the operator of nut roaster assembly 100controlled ascent and descent of bowl assembly 180.

As explained herein, roaster bowl 200 is lifted after the cookingprocess to its fully raised position in order to allow theroasted/glazed nuts to be easily removed, as illustrated in FIG. 8.Similarly, after the cleaning process, roaster bowl 200 is graduallylifted to cause the hot sugar water within the roaster bowl to be pouredonto pouring tray 400 and then into a pan 600, as illustrated in FIG. 9.As the sugar water leaves the bowl, the operator continues to raisecantilever arm 120 until roaster bowl 200 is at the fully raisedposition. During this lifting operation, large piston 140 aids theoperator in the lifting of roaster bowl 200.

When roaster bowl 200 is at the fully raised position (or at any lowerposition, if desired), the operator lowers the roaster bowl by loweringcantilever arm 120. While lowering, large piston 140 is engaged andserves to counteract the downward force of the roaster bowl beinglowered (including the gravitational force). By counteracting thedownward force, roaster bowl 200 is gradually lowered.

Small piston 150 is engaged only during a portion of the lowering ofroaster bowl 200. Specifically, small piston 150 is not engaged untilroaster bowl 200 is lowered to the 30° position and remains engageduntil roaster bowl 200 is completely lowered. The operation of smallpiston 150 is explained below with reference to FIGS. 23A-23E. As willbe appreciated from the description herein, the operation of smallpiston 150 as herein described completely prevents (or at leastsignificantly minimizes) injury within the above-identified “fallingzone.”

FIGS. 23A-23E show roaster bowl 200 at various positions. FIG. 23A showsroaster bowl 200 at the fully raised position. FIG. 23B shows roasterbowl 200 at a slightly lowered position (i.e., at roughly a 65°position). FIG. 23C shows roaster bowl 200 at the 30° position. FIG. 23Dshows roaster bowl 200 at a 15° position. FIG. 23E shows roaster bowl200 at the fully lowered position.

FIGS. 23A-23E also simply illustrate housing 110, bowl support 182, pin184, small piston 150 and rotating lever 160 so that the respectivepositions of each of these components are illustrated. Large piston 140and other components of the nut roaster assembly are not provided inFIGS. 23A-23E so as to not obscure these figures.

As indicated above, FIG. 23A shows roaster bowl 200 at the fully raisedposition. As roaster bowl 200 is lowered from this position, rotatinglever 160 freely rotates upwards (counter-clockwise) thus preventingsmall piston 150 from being engaged (i.e., from being compressed). Thisis shown in FIG. 23B. Roaster bowl 200 is further lowered until itreaches the 30° position shown in FIG. 23C. As illustrated in FIG. 23C,small piston 150 is uncompressed. Accordingly, during the roaster bowl'sentire movement between the fully raised position (FIG. 23A) and the 30°position (FIG. 23C), small piston 150 is not engaged.

However, at the 30° position shown in FIG. 23C, rotating lever 160 hasrotated upwards to the point where the rotating lever's hooked end is incontact with pin 184 that extends from bowl support 182. Rotating lever160 therefore is prevented from further upward rotation.

Accordingly, continued lowering of roaster bowl 200 beyond the 30°position causes small piston 150 to be engaged. The operator thereforemust exert sufficient downward force on cantilever arm 120 to overcomethe counteracting force of small piston 150.

As the operator exerts the required downward force, the counteractingforce of small piston 150 causes roaster bowl 200 to be lowered at avery gradual rate. Such gradual rate is sufficiently slow to allow theoperator and other individuals plenty of time to move body parts andother items that may be located within the above-mentioned falling zone.

FIG. 23D shows roaster bowl 200 at the 15° position, and at suchposition, small piston 150 is shown partly compressed while rotatinglever 160 continues to abut pin 184 of bowl support 182. As roaster bowl200 is further lowered by the operator to the fully lowered positionshown in FIG. 23E, small piston 150 continues to be engaged, thuscontinuing to cause the very gradual (and thus very safe) lowering ofroaster bowl 200.

Accordingly, by employing the herein-described Cantilever with PistonsSystem, roaster bowl 200 cannot accidentally (or even intentionally)move between the various positions too quickly so as to pose a threat ofphysical injury.

In addition, the use of small piston 150 with rotating lever 160 asherein described provides enhanced safety when the roaster bowl isrelatively close to the top surface of the nut roaster assembly'shousing (i.e., between the 30° and fully lowered positions).Accordingly, an object, a person's finger or anything else locatedwithin the falling zone may easily be removed to prevent injury ordamage during the final lowering of the roaster bowl into its fullylowered position.

The particular height of roaster bowl 200 at which the small piston isengaged may be different than that explained above. For example, thestructure of the components may be modified to cause the small piston tobe engaged after the roaster bowl is lowered to a 35° position, or a 25°position, or other desired position.

(C) Steam Cleaning and Detachable Pour Tray

Nut roaster assembly 100 of the present invention includes pour tray400, shown in various figures, including FIGS. 1-3, 6A, 9, 15, 16 and24A. Pour tray 400 is removably attachable to the nut roaster's housing110 in a manner to be described, and is utilized during theherein-described nut roaster cleaning process and, in particular, isutilized to evacuate the water from roaster bowl 200 after theherein-described steam cleaning phase of the cleaning process iscomplete.

As discussed above, to clean the various components including roasterbowl 200, agitator 230, and cover 300, the operator adds water toroaster bowl 200, places cover 300 over the roaster bowl, and depressesClean button 580 on the front panel 500 to initiate the clean cycle.During the clean cycle, roaster bowl 200 is heated until the waterbegins to boil. As the water is boiling, steam is created that dissolvesthe stuck-on sugar. As mentioned above, this process is called, forconvenience, the steam-cleaning phase.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, pouring lip 220 of roaster bowl 200 extendspartially outward and upward from the bowl's perimeter 222. As steam iscreated, the steam fills the space between roaster bowl 200 and cover300, and ultimately is forced to exit through steam vent 330. Duringthis steam cleaning phase, that is, as steam is continuously beingcreated from the boiling water, the entire underside of cover 300 andmost of the internal surface of roaster bowl 200 are cleaned such thatall (or at least most) of the sugar that is adhered to any of thesesurfaces is dissolved within the steam, hot water vapor and boilingwater. Some of the steam and hot water vapor exit the chamber via steamvent 330. For convenience, the term steam herein refers to both steamand hot water vapor.

In accordance with the present invention, the steam exiting the chambervia steam vent 330 cleans the bowl's pouring lip 220. In particular, asthe steam exits, some of the exiting steam contacts the top surface ofpouring lip 220, which condenses on the pouring lip, dissolves sugarthat is adhered to the pouring lip, and drips back (along with thedissolved sugar) into roaster bowl 200.

Pouring lip 220 has a particular shape and length. This entails apouring lip that does not extend too far from the perimeter of roasterbowl 200, otherwise the steam exiting via steam vent 330 duringsteam-cleaning does not sufficiently remove sugar that may be adhered tothe outer edge of pouring lip 220 (i.e., that portion of pouring lip 220furthest from the roaster bowl). That is, steam exiting the roaster bowlthrough the steam vent is able to clean only a finite length of thepouring lip. A particularly suitable length of the pouring lip is 0.75inches, upwards of 1 inch (and all lengths smaller), although quality ofcleaning is reduced at much longer lengths. For example, a pouring lipwith a length as long as 3 inches is not properly cleaned at the areasfurthest from the roaster bowl.

Hence, by limiting the extension of the roaster bowl's pouring lip asparticularly shown in the figures, the entire pouring lip is able to besufficiently cleaned during the herein-described steam cleaning phase.

At the conclusion of the clean cycle, the operator removes cover 300 andthen proceeds to pour out the hot water (with the sugar dissolvedtherein—also called “sugar water” herein, for convenience) withinroaster bowl 200 using pour tray 400. As further discussed below and asgenerally shown in FIG. 9, pour tray 400 is first connected to nutroaster housing 110, a suitable bucket, pan or tray (e.g., pan 600) isplaced under pour tray 400, and the operator lifts cantilever arm 120 toraise roaster bowl 200 to a height sufficient to allow the sugar waterwithin roaster bowl 200 to flow onto pour tray 400, which directs thesugar water into the bucket, pan or tray.

Thereafter, the various components, including the roaster bowl,agitator, cover, pour tray and other accessible components, are cleanedto remove all remaining residue.

Detachable Pour Tray

Referring again to FIGS. 1-3, pour tray 400 is shown to have a proximalend 410 and a distal end 420. The pour tray's proximal end 410 includesa curved edge 430 with a curvature that generally follows the curvatureof the outer edge of pouring lip 220, as best shown in FIG. 3. Curvededge 430 is longer than pouring lip 220 to prevent spillage of the sugarwater as it is being poured onto pour tray 400 from pouring lip 220. Thepour tray's distal end 420 is narrower than the pour tray's proximal end410 to further facilitate pouring of the sugar water into the separatebucket or pan. Pour tray 400 further includes a sidewall 440 extendingupward from the two side edges and the curved edge to also prevent or,at least, minimize spillage during pouring, as illustrated in FIG. 9.

As shown in FIG. 2, the top surface of the pour tray's proximal end 410is sloped at its edge that flows into a flat portion that rests on thetop surface of nut roaster housing 110, when mounted thereon. The pourtray's distal end 420 is sloped downward to further facilitate pouringof the sugar water into the adjacent bucket or pan. This also is shownin FIGS. 9, 15 and 16.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show the relative size of pour tray 400 and thepositions of its components when roaster bowl 200 is at the partiallyraised position (FIG. 15) and at the fully raised position (FIG. 16). Asillustrated, pour tray 400 catches water poured over the roaster bowl'spouring lip when the roaster bowl is at any raised position, thusminimizing spillage during the pouring operation. Of course, theoperator needs to raise roaster bowl 200 carefully and in a measuredmanner to ensure that there is no spillage of the water during anypouring operation that may be carried out.

Pour tray 400 further includes structure to enable it to be mounted onthe nut roaster's housing. FIG. 24A shows a perspective, bottom view ofpour tray 400. As shown, pour tray includes a support member 450 thatextends downward from the pour tray's lower surface. Support member 450includes two elongated engagement apertures 452. To facilitate mounting,the nut roaster's housing 110 includes a pair of mounting pins 190 thatextend from the upper, side surface of the nut roaster's housing 110, asbest shown in the perspective, bottom view of FIG. 22. As shown in FIG.24B, each mounting pin 190 is cylindrical in shape and includes arounded terminus 192.

To mount pour tray 400 on the nut roaster's housing 110, pour tray 400is positioned above and adjacent to the top, side edge of the nutroaster's housing 110 so that the pour tray's two engagement apertures452 are immediately above the two mounting pins 190 extending from thehousing, and then the pour tray is lowered until the mounting pegs arewithin the pour tray's engagement apertures, as shown in FIG. 22.

The pour tray rests on the top surface of the nut roaster's housing 110,as best seen in FIG. 2. Mounting pins 190 disposed within the pourtray's engagement apertures 452 keep the pour tray in place during use(see FIG. 22). After completion of pouring of the sugar water fromroaster bowl 200 into a bucket or pan, the pour tray is lifted up to beremoved, and is then easily cleaned in a sink.

Mounting pins 190 on the nut roaster housing may have a structuredifferent than that shown and described herein. Moreover, the mechanismto secure the pour tray to the nut roaster housing may be different.Other techniques/structure known in the art to temporarily attach thepour tray to the nut roaster housing may be employed.

From the description herein, it is illustrated that the inventive nutroaster includes elements and features that maximize the effectivenessof the cleaning operation, while preventing or otherwise minimizing theneed to separately clean the bowl's integral pouring lip, and preventingor otherwise minimizing the flow of steam (containing dissolved sugar)towards the front or back of the nut roaster assembly. Still further,the bowl's pouring lip, in combination with the detachable pour tray,prevents or otherwise minimizes spillage of the very hot (or boiling)water onto the floor, onto the counter on which the roaster sits, ontothe top surface of the nut roaster or other component or piece ofmachinery.

(D) Agitator and Bowl

Nut roaster assembly 100 of the present invention includes the inventiveagitator 230 within the roaster bowl that mixes the nuts, sugar andother ingredients during the herein-described nut roasting process. Theinventive agitator 230 has various structural features that providecertain benefits and advantages not provided by agitators used incurrently available nut roasters.

In particular, agitator 230, shown installed within roaster bowl 200 inFIG. 4A, beneficially avoids or minimizes seizing, prevents or minimizesformation of thick coatings of hard sugar build-up on and under theagitator's blades, prevents incremental build-up of sugar on and underthe agitator over multiple cooked batches, beneficially provides foreven interspersing of the mixture throughout the roaster bowl, minimizesmere pushing of the bowl contents around the roaster bowl thusincreasing consistency in nut coating, minimizes production of scrap,and prevents adherence of the agitator to the bowl after the roasterbowl has cooled (after the cooking process is complete), among otherfeatures, benefits and advantages.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, agitator 230 is installed over a centercolumn 202 extending upwards from the bottom of roaster bowl 200. Whenproperly installed, agitator 230 is connected to the top of drive shaft116, which extends through the bowl's center column 202, as furtherdiscussed below.

FIGS. 25A-25G are various views of agitator 230. FIG. 25A is aperspective view. FIG. 25B is a top view. FIG. 25C is a front view. FIG.25D is a side view. FIG. 25E shows an enlarged portion of the side viewof FIG. 25D. FIG. 25F is a bottom view. FIG. 25G is another perspectiveview. Moreover, FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of roaster bowl 200with installed agitator 230.

As shown in FIGS. 25A, 25B, 25C, 25F and 25G, agitator 230 includes acentral hub 232 and two blades 240, 250. The two blades extend fromopposite sides of central hub 232 and are identical in all respects. Asparticularly shown in FIG. 25C, blades 240, 250 are L-shaped and includea somewhat vertical (i.e., slightly slanted) component (242, 252) (forconvenience, called “vertical component”) extending downward fromcentral hub 232 and then bend (slightly more than 90°) into an outwardlyextending horizontal component (244, 254). As best shown in FIG. 25B,blades 240, 250 are relatively narrow in width as compared to the sizeof central hub 232. In particular, central hub 232 has a diameter thatis roughly four times longer than the width of the blades.

When agitator 230 is installed within roaster bowl 200, as shown in FIG.4A, each blade's vertical component is adjacent and parallel to centercolumn 202 that extends upward from the bottom of roaster bowl 200, andeach blade's horizontal component is disposed immediately above andparallel to the floor of roaster bowl 200.

As shown in FIG. 25A, the horizontal component of blade 240 includes afront edge 244 a and a rear edge 244 b. Likewise, the horizontalcomponent of blade 250 includes a front edge 254 a and a rear edge 254b.

The horizontal component of each blade 240, 250 has angled top andbottom surfaces. As best shown in FIG. 26, each blade's top surface (ofthe horizontal component) extends upward from the blade's front edge tothe blade's rear edge at an angle of 30° relative to the floor ofroaster bowl 200. FIG. 25A also shows each blade with an angled topsurface.

Moreover, each blade's bottom surface extends upward from the front edgeto the rear edge at a relief angle of 5° relative to the floor ofroaster bowl 200, which is shown in FIGS. 25E and 26. Accordingly, eachblade's front edge (244 a, 254 a) is relatively thin as compared to thethickness of each blade's rear edge (244 b, 254 b).

Agitator 230 also includes a notch 234 with the shape shown in FIGS. 4A,4B, 25A, 25F and 25G to enable the agitator to be secured to the top ofdrive shaft 116. As shown in FIG. 4B, drive shaft 116 includes a pair ofoutwardly extending pins 204. To secure agitator 230 to drive shaft 116,agitator 230 is placed immediately above the bowl's center column 202,and agitator 230 is rotated to align the outer openings of theagitator's notch 234 with the positions of pins 204. Agitator 230 ispushed downward and onto drive shaft 116 to cause pins 204 to move upand into notch 234. Then, to secure the agitator within the roasterbowl, agitator 230 is turned clockwise to move pins 204 into the closedends of notch 234.

Referring to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 6A and 6B, agitator 230 is connected to thetop of drive shaft 116 which extends through the roaster bowl's centercolumn 202. FIG. 6C is an enlarged view that particularly shows the topof drive shaft 116, the agitator's central hub 232 and the top of theroaster bowl's center column 202. FIGS. 6B and 6C show only a smallportion of the agitator's two blades 240, 250 (reference numbers 240,250 are omitted in FIG. 6B for purposes of ease of readability).

As also shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, drive shaft 116 is coupled at itsbottom end to gearbox 114, which is driven by motor assembly 112 duringoperation of nut roaster assembly 100. Accordingly, when the motor ofnut roaster assembly 100 is powered, the agitator's blades 240, 250rotate. During such rotation, the agitator's blades 240, 250 mix thecontents in roaster bowl 200.

During the herein-described operation of nut roaster assembly 100, andparticularly during the roasting and glazing processes, blades 240, 250rotate around roaster bowl 200 and during such rotation lift theingredients (e.g., nuts and sugar) as each blade passes through themixture. By employing blades that have a short width and that have a topsurface angle of 30°, the mixture moves fluidly over the blades.Moreover, the blade structure lifts and rotates components of themixture (i.e., the nuts) during blade rotation, as further discussedbelow.

FIGS. 27A-27C illustrate the movement of an individual nut 702 within amixture in roaster bowl 200 as blade 240 rotates. Front edge 244 a ofblade 240 approaches nut 702, as shown in FIG. 27A. As blade 240continues to rotate, the blade's front edge 244 a contacts nut 702 andforces the nut to tumble up the blade's top surface, where theorientation of nut 702 has changed due to such tumbling, as illustratedin FIG. 27B. As blade 240 continues to rotate, nut 702 tumbles past theblade's rear edge 244 b, further changing the nut's orientation, asillustrated in FIG. 27C. In addition to changing its orientation, theheight of nut 702 within the mixture (relative to the floor of roasterbowl 200) also has changed by being forced upwards as each blade passesunder the nut, which promotes enhanced mixing of the mixture and greaterconsistent coating of each nut's entire surface.

FIG. 28 schematically illustrates nuts within the mixture tumbling overthe agitator's blade during rotation.

As discussed herein, the lower surface of each blade is relatively closeto the floor of roaster bowl 200 and extends upward from the front edgeto the rear edge at an angle of 5°, as shown in FIG. 26. Moreparticularly, the distance between the bottom of the front edge of eachblade and the floor of roaster bowl 200 is substantially smaller thanthe size of most nuts and nut pieces and, therefore, the nuts and nutpieces within the mixture are forced up the blade's top surface, ratherthan moving underneath the blade.

In addition, the sugar, the melting sugar and other ingredients withinthe mixture similarly pass over each blade, rather than under the blade,during the mixing/roasting/glazing processes. However, a relativelysmall amount of mixture, including possibly tiny nut fragments, sugarcrystals, and other tiny components of the mixture, will flow under eachof the blades during rotation. The 5° upward angle of the bottom surfaceof each blade minimizes the chance of such components interfering withcontinued blade rotation. That is, each blade is closest to the floor ofthe nut roaster only at the blade's front edge 244 a, as shown in FIGS.26 and 27A-C. Thus, mixture components sufficiently small to pass underthe bottom surface of the blade, at the blade's front edge 244 a, willcontinue to pass under the remainder of the blade's bottom surface (asthe blade rotates) due to the continuously increasing distance betweenthe blade's bottom surface and the floor of the roaster bowl as a resultof the upward incline of the blade's bottom surface.

In addition to providing the herein-described features and benefitsduring the mixing/roasting/glazing processes of nut roaster assembly 100of the present invention, the blades of agitator 230 also have astructure that prevents or at least minimizes the likelihood that theagitator seizes (i.e., gets stuck to the roaster bowl) after usage. Thatis, if the ingredients, which includes sugar (i.e., “sugar mixture”),remaining in the roaster bowl sufficiently cool, the 5° angle of thebottom surface of each of the blades reduces the tensile strength of thesugar mixture, thus allowing the agitator to be removed from the roasterbowl without having to add more water and reheat the mixture thatremains within the roaster bowl. The angle of the bottom surfacesimilarly prevents seizing of the agitator during mixing operations.

Extensive testing of the inventive nut roaster using theherein-described agitator blade, which included thirty consecutiveproduction cycles without running any cleaning cycles, resulted in noinstances of seizing.

Accordingly, agitator 230 provides various features, benefits andadvantages over currently existing agitators, which include at least thefollowing. Agitator 230 minimizes the thickness of the coating of hardsugar build-up that may form on the agitator's blades. Agitator 230prevents/minimizes build-up of sugar from the underside of the blades,which in turn prevents blade seizure during operation. Agitator 230provides enhanced mixing of the nut mixture during themixing/roasting/glazing processes, and minimizes waste in the form ofscrap. Agitator 230 prevents/minimizes the likelihood of seizing aftercooking, that is, after the roaster bowl has cooled.

Moreover, the agitator blades may have angles different than thatdescribed above. In particular, while a top surface angle of 30°provides a high quality product, other angles may be employed. Forinstance, a top surface angle in the range of 20° and 50° can beemployed. Similarly, the relief angle of the lower surface of each blademay be greater than 5° (e.g., 7°,9°).

(E) Smart Cleaning Cycle

Steam-cleaning during the herein-described clean cycle entails boilingwater within roaster bowl 200 with cover 300 on the roaster bowl inorder to clean the roaster bowl including its pouring lip, the agitator,and the cover. The nut roaster assembly of the present invention mayemploy a smart cleaning cycle within this process to ensure that thewater within the roaster bowl is indeed boiling, preferably for at least90 seconds, if not more, regardless of where the nut roaster assembly isbeing used.

More particularly, the smart cleaning cycle is pre-programmed to ensurethat water used in the cleaning process is maintained at its boilingpoint for at least 90 seconds at all altitudes where nut roasterassembly 100 may be used, regardless of the fact that water boils atdifferent temperatures at different altitudes.

Nut roaster assembly 100 includes a processor pre-programmed to uselogic to first determine whether the actual water within the roasterbowl has reached the boiling point (wherein such boiling point is afunction of the altitude at which nut roaster assembly 100 currently islocated). To achieve this, the temperature of the roaster bowl ismonitored using temperature sensor 196 (shown in FIG. 6B) during theentire time the nut roaster assembly's heater is on. By sensing thetemperature of the roaster bowl, the temperature of the roaster bowl andits liquid content (i.e., water) is monitored. As the temperature of thewater increases (due to the heater being on), the sensed temperaturelikewise will increase. The temperature of the water will continue togradually increase, as it is being heated, until the water begins toboil, at which point the temperature of the liquid water will notmeaningfully increase. Water at the top that reaches or exceeds theboiling point converts to steam.

Accordingly, the processor tracks the sensed temperature of the roasterbowl (and thus its liquid water content), and continuouslydetermines/ascertains whether the sensed temperature has not increasedor decreased by more than 5° F. for a period of at least 30 seconds. 30seconds is utilized to ensure that the boiling point is reached. Theprocessor continues these processing steps until it has ascertained thatthe sensed temperature has remained constant (i.e., not increased ordecreased by more than 5° F.) for a period of 30 seconds, at whichpoint, the processor deems that the water is indeed boiling.

The processor then controls the nut roaster assembly to continue to heatthe nut roaster and to begin a countdown timer of at least 90 seconds.As the timer counts down from 90 seconds to zero, the water within theroaster bowl continues to boil, thus providing the herein-describedsteam-cleaning for at least 90 seconds (and most likely longer as aresult of some boiling occurring during a portion of the 30 secondperiod discussed above). When the countdown timer reaches zero, theheater is automatically turned off, the water remaining in the roasterbowl shortly stops boiling and steam-cleaning is complete.

As illustrated from the foregoing discussion, the smart cleaning cycleof the present invention enables the inventive nut roaster assembly tobe properly steam cleaned for at least 90 seconds regardless of thealtitude at which the nut roaster assembly is located. By providingsteam cleaning for at least 90 seconds, all or nearly all of the sugaradhered to the roaster bowl, agitator and cover is broken down, thusmaking cleaning of these components easy.

As part of the herein-described smart cleaning cycle, nut roasterassembly 100 preferably includes protection against excessivetemperatures due to prolonged heating of a roaster bowl that is empty orotherwise contains no water. For instance, if during the smart cleaningcycle an empty roaster bowl is continuously heated, it may rise to atemperature that would lead to unit failure or an unsafe thermal pointof the roaster bowl, and/or be a result of improper operation of the nutroaster assembly (e.g., initiating the smart cleaning cycle withoutfirst adding water).

Accordingly, if the nut roaster assembly's processor, as it tracks thesensed temperature of the roaster bowl in the herein-described smartcleaning cycle, ascertains that the sensed temperature exceeds 250° F.,the processor shuts off the heater and provides an over-temperatureerror on front panel 500. Since water boils at temperatures well below250° F. at any altitude (i.e., water boils at 212° F. at sea level, andat lower temperatures at all altitudes above sea level), selecting 250°F. as the shut-off temperature will not impact proper operation of thesmart cleaning cycle while the nut roaster assembly of the presentinvention is operated at any location.

(F) Front Panel Display

Front panel 500 is shown in FIG. 5.

The above-discussed processor is coupled via appropriate electroniccircuitry to the various inputs and displays of front panel 500. Inaddition, the nut roaster assembly of the present invention includesmemory and other electrical components, including a power cord, tofacilitate the operation of the assembly as described herein. Forinstance, the nut roaster assembly may include a circuit board thatincludes a suitable processor, memory, and other electronic devices,along with appropriate input and output for connection to front panel500. Since the structure, design and programming of such devices arewell within the knowledge and ability of those of ordinary skill in theart, given the description herein, further details about the processorand other electronics are not provided.

As shown in FIG. 5, front panel 500 includes Main Power On/Off switch510 for turning the nut roaster assembly on and off. Front panel 500also includes a System Status display 520 that has three indicatorlights (or lamps): (a) a Heat On lamp 522; (b) a Motor On lamp 524; (c)and an Error lamp 526. These lamps respectively identify to the operatoras to whether the heat is on or off, whether the motor is on or off, andwhether there is an error. An error is indicated if temperature sensor196 is broken or an over-temperature thermostat 198, shown in FIG. 6B,has detected a temperature above 450° F. or is broken. If Heat On lamp522 is on, the operator should assume that the roaster bowl is hot andtherefore not be touched without gloves or without taking otherprecautionary measure.

The START button 560 on front panel 500 initiates the cooking cycle,that is, initiates the mixing/roasting step (i.e., turns on the nutroaster's motor and heater) as discussed herein. The Stop button 570 maybe depressed to discontinue the cooking cycle early, discontinue thecleaning cycle early, or discontinue motor and heater operation if andwhen otherwise desired.

The Actual Temperature display 530 on front panel 500 shows thetemperature measured by sensor 196 that is mounted to the underside ofthe roaster bowl, and generally enables the operator to determine thatcooking and cleaning is progressing correctly. Time Remaining display540 on front panel 500 informs the operator as to when he/she needs toreturn to the nut roaster in order to complete the nut roasting/glazingprocess. A buzzer that is disposed internal to the roaster's housingalerts the operator of when to add water in order to glaze the finishednut batch. The buzzer continues to sound until the operator returns tothe machine and depresses the Mute Buzzer button 550. If desired, theoperator can change the volume of the buzzer by depressing a BuzzerVolume button 552. The buzzer volume cycles, with each depression ofBuzzer Volume button 552, through low, middle and high volumes.

Front panel 500 also includes service technician controls to allow foradjustment of both the temperature set point and the batch timerfunctions. In particular, front panel 500 includes a set of servicetechnician control buttons and displays 590 that enable a servicetechnician to adjust the temperature at which the heater automaticallyshuts off as well as the number of seconds to wait until the buzzersounds to initiate glazing.

Front panel 500 further includes the above-mentioned “Clean” button 580to initiate the cleaning cycle of the present invention.

While front panel 500 in FIG. 5 shows switches and displays inparticular locations, the locations of such switches and displays may bedifferent than that shown.

(G) Additional Features

Shield/Protection against Sludge

The roasting and glazing apparatus of the present invention employs anupwardly extending drive shaft 116 to rotate agitator 230 within roasterbowl 200, as previously described. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, driveshaft 116 extends upward from gearbox 114.

Nut roaster assembly 100 employs several components to prevent, or atleast minimize, sugar-based residue typically called sludge and othermaterials used/created during the herein-described processes fromentering gearbox 114. For convenience, the term sludge herein refersalso to other materials used/created that may enter the gearbox. Inparticular, the present invention prevents or minimizes sludge fromtraveling from inside roaster bowl 200 onto and down drive shaft 116,and into gearbox 114, thus preventing potential damage to the gearboxand other components within the nut roaster housing 110.

As shown in FIGS. 4B and 6C, a bushing 188 a is disposed around driveshaft 116 at the top of the roaster bowl's center column 202. Bushing188 a prevents or at least minimizes the amount of sludge that slidesdown drive shaft 116. Bushing 188 a also properly aligns drive shaft 116within center column 202. Bushing 188 a may be a PTFE bushing or othersuitable component. Bushing 188 a includes a portion 188 a 1 on its topsurface (see FIG. 6C) that prevents bushing 188 a from falling downwardon drive shaft 116. To prevent bushing 188 a from lifting upward, theinner surface of the roaster bowl's center column 202 where it contactsbushing 188 a is rough so that bushing 188 a and center column 202remain frictionally engaged to one another.

Drive shaft 116 also includes a main shaft bearing 188 b disposedbeneath bushing 188 a, as shown in FIG. 6C. Main shaft bearing 188 baligns drive shaft 116 and provides unrestricted rotation of drive shaft116 within the roaster bowl's center column 202. Main shaft bearing 188b is held in place by its frictional engagement with the inner surfaceof center column 202. Main shaft bearing 188 b also is maintained inposition around drive shaft 116 by shelf 202 a, which extends inwardlyfrom center column 202 and is located immediately beneath main shaftbearing 188 b.

For purposes of illustration, bushing 188 a (along with portion 188 a 1)and main shaft bearing 188 b shown in FIG. 6C are identified in FIG. 6Aas reference element 188.

Nut roaster assembly 100 further includes an umbrella-shaped shield 118disposed on drive shaft 116 immediately above gearbox 114, as shown inFIG. 29 and also shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. Shield 118 includes a roundtop surface that slopes downward from its center in all directions sothat materials flowing or falling onto it are directed outward. Shield118 may be plastic or other appropriate material. Shield 118 installedon drive shaft 116 may employ an O-ring or other appropriate componentto seal shield 118 to drive shaft 116.

At all times, that is, during operation of nut roaster assembly 100 andwhen nut roaster assembly 100 is not in use, shield 118 prevents sludgeand other materials that happen to flow down drive shaft 116 fromentering gearbox 114. Instead, shield 118 redirects the sludge and othermaterials outwardly and away from gearbox 114. Accordingly, shield 118prevents sludge and other potentially harmful components from enteringgearbox 114.

Dampening Cone

Nut roaster assembly 100 includes a vibration dampening mechanism thatdampens the vibration of roaster bowl 200 during operation.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 17, 20 and 21 show a rubber dampening cone 172 mounted onthe underside of bowl assembly 180 (immediately beneath gearbox 114 asshown in FIG. 6A). When nut roaster assembly 100 is operating (duringthe mixing/roasting/glazing processes or cleaning process), roaster bowl200 is at the fully lowered position. In such position, and as shown inFIGS. 6A, 6B and 21, dampening cone 172 is resting on cross member 170of housing 110. Hence, dampening cone 172 prevents roaster bowl 200 frommoving below the herein-described fully lowered position. Dampening cone172 also reduces vibration and noise that may otherwise be generatedwhen the motor is operating.

Adjustable Feet

Nut roaster assembly 100 preferably includes adjustable feet 194, asshown in FIG. 1. By employing adjustable feet 194, the height of each ofthe corners of nut roaster assembly 100 may be modified as needed. Theheight may be modified to ensure that nut roaster assembly 100 restssquarely on all of its feet, which beneficially reduces vibration/noise.Countertops on which the unit rests may not be completely flat, or theunit may be resting on multiple, uneven surfaces, thus requiring heightadjustment of one or more of the adjustable feet.

In addition, by having raised, adjustable feet, the surface of thetable/counter on which nut roaster assembly 100 rests may be cleanedwithout having to lift or otherwise move the unit, which is somewhatheavy.

From the foregoing discussion, it is seen that the invention entails aneasy to use and safe machine that can be operated by non-highly skilledpersons to produce high quality roasted and glazed nuts and other fooditems. It is noted that the details of various components are not setforth herein, since such components, their control and operation arewell within the knowledge of those of ordinary skill in the art. Forinstance, the present invention employs a heater, a motor, and otherelectro-mechanical components to carry out certain functions andoperations. Heaters, motors, etc. are well known and thus a variety ofsuch devices may be employed. In connection with the type of heater thatmay be used within the present invention, an electrically powered heatermay be employed, thus allowing the inventive roasting and glazingapparatus to be located at any location in which electrical power isavailable (e.g., within any retail store, home, factory, etc.) However,a gas heater may be utilized, if desired.

Moreover, the roasting and glazing apparatus of the present invention issufficiently small to be used on a table top surface and is easily movedfrom one location to another, such as from one room to another roomwithin a retail facility, from one retail facility to another, from aninside location to an outside location (and vice versa), etc. Hence, solong as a suitable power source is available, the inventive roasting andglazing apparatus is not confined to a single location and, thus, isportable. Accordingly, the inventive roasting and glazing apparatus isdesigned for use in a retail environment.

In addition, the invention includes various aspects and features,including: (A) Cover with Liquid Dispersing Design; (B) Bowl Movement:Cantilever with Pistons; (C) Steam Cleaning and Detachable Pour Tray;(D) Agitator and Bowl; (E) Smart Cleaning Cycle; (F) Front PanelDisplay; and (G) Additional Features, all as described herein. All ofthese aspects and features may be embodied within a single device, butthe invention includes employing some, but not all, of these aspects andfeatures within an apparatus. For instance, the present inventionincludes an assembly (and process carried out by that assembly) thatincorporates only groups (A) and (B) mentioned above (i.e., Cover withLiquid Dispersing Design, and Bowl Movement: Cantilever with Pistons).As another example, the present invention includes an assembly (andprocess carried out by that assembly) that incorporates only groups (C)and (E) (e.g., Steam Cleaning and Detachable Pour Tray, and SmartCleaning Cycle). Other combinations of groups also are part of thepresent invention.

Moreover, the present invention includes a device (and correspondingprocess) that incorporates only one of these groups (or a portion of agroup), such as only group (A) (i.e., Cover with Liquid DispersingDesign). Accordingly, the invention includes a machine that employs thecover for use with other equipment that may not perform roasting. Asanother example, the invention entails a machine that employs only group(D) (i.e., Agitator and Bowl), in which the particular structure of theagitator described herein is used within a machine that does notnecessarily include or otherwise carry out other functions describedherein. As a further example, the invention includes only group (B)(Bowl Movement: Cantilever with Pistons) in which a machine that employsthe inventive lifting/lowering features, as described herein, does notemploy the agitator described herein and/or other components/functionsnot related to the lifting/lowering of a bowl. These examples areprovided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit theinvention solely to those examples identified herein.

Having described the invention in detail, the following is a list andbrief description of some of the features and benefits of the inventiveroasting and glazing apparatus described herein.

(1) Double gas pistons: Enables easier raising of roaster bowl.

(2) Double gas pistons provided for improved safety during lowering: Afirst piston prevents the roaster bowl from dropping from fully raised(emptying) position. When lowering past the 30° position, a secondpiston provides resistance, thus requiring the operator to exertsufficient downward force on the cantilever arm to secure the roasterbowl all the way into the nut roaster housing. Hence, a high level ofsafety is provided.

(3) Clean mode added for convenience: No need to monitor the machinewhile in the clean mode.

(4) Combination of bowl with pouring lip and cover: These components,when combined, improve the user's ability to clean the roaster bowl,pouring lip, agitator and cover.

(5) Roaster bowl contains a pouring lip: After cleaning the roasterbowl, water is fully directed onto the detachable pour tray.

(6) Detachable pour tray: Directs hot water and prevents spillage ontocounter or underneath nut roaster assembly. Restricts back flow of waterinto nut roaster housing.

(7) Digital temperature readout: Useful to the operator as well asservice personnel to verify proper temperature of roaster bowl duringvarious stages of cooking and cleaning.

(8) Uniquely designed roaster cover: Cover contains a liquid reservoirwith metering holes that regulate liquid flow into hot roaster bowl andis used when adding water for the glazing step. This prevents the rushof sugar-laden steam that can burn the operator. By minimizing the rushof sugar-laden steam and by controlling its direction, the coating ofsugar on surrounding surfaces, including walls and ceilings, isminimized.

(9) Uniquely designed roaster cover: Holes in the water reservoir arefar enough away from the cover handle to minimize injury due to escapingsteam.

(10) Steam vent on the side of the roaster cover: Steam vent faces thepouring lip to direct steam away from operator during both the glazingand cleaning processes. The steam also loosens sugar build up on thebowl's pouring lip for easier cleaning.

(11) Smart Cleaning Cycle: Nut roaster assembly ascertains whether waterwithin the roaster bowl is boiling, regardless of the actual boilingpoint (which depends on altitude) so that the cleaning cycle can beautomated regardless of the altitude at which the nut roaster assemblyis used.

(12) Uniquely designed agitator: Reduces scrap; prevents seizing;promotes even coating of nuts.

(13) Agitator is easily removable: Adds to the ease of cleaning.

(14) Gearbox shield: Use of shield on drive shaft prevents sludge fromentering and damaging gearbox.

(15) Rubber dampening cone inside nut roaster housing: During roasting,glazing and cleaning, the rubber cone fixed at the bottom of the roasterbowl assembly minimizes vibration.

(16) Nut roaster sits on raised adjustable feet: Allows for properalignment of unit and easier cleaning under the nut roaster.

It is appreciated that while the present invention has been describedwith reference to specific schematics, diagrams, and descriptions,various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention.

For example, certain configurations of various components of theinventive nut roasting and glazing apparatus have been described hereinand illustrated in the figures, but the configuration may be modified aswould be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example,the configuration of the apparatus may be reversed so that, forillustrative purposes, the steam vent is disposed on the left side ofthe unit (and, similarly, all other components are reversed inconfiguration). As another example, the precise shape of variouscomponents is not critical to the invention herein, including the shapeof the sides of the pour tray (e.g., the sides may be curved or haveanother shape), the shape and configuration of the front display panel,the shape of the cantilever arm, etc.

As another example, the present invention has been described inconnection with a roaster bowl and other components having specificsizes. But the sizes may be modified, as would be appreciated by thoseof ordinary skill in the art. For instance, various amounts of water areidentified for addition to the roaster bowl during the cooking andcleaning processes. These amounts are the preferred amounts for aparticular roaster bowl size. But other amounts may be employed.Moreover, the roaster bowl may be larger or smaller than that shown anddescribed herein and, thus, the water amounts may be modified toaccommodate a different size roaster bowl.

Still further, other variations may be made as would be appreciated tothose of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, it is to be understoodthat other expedients/variations may be employed but that stay withinthe meaning, scope and spirit of the invention.

Having described the present invention including various features andvariations thereof, it is intended that the appended claims beinterpreted as including the embodiments described herein, thealternatives mentioned above, and all equivalents thereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A roasting and glazing apparatus, comprising: aroaster housing; a roaster bowl disposed within the roaster housing, theroaster bowl having an outwardly extending pouring lip, the roaster bowlincluding a removable agitator rotatably mounted within the roasterbowl; a cover removably mounted on top of the roaster bowl, the coverand the roaster bowl forming a vent extending between the cover and theroaster bowl, the vent extending around a portion of a perimeter of theroaster bowl, the vent being disposed adjacent to at least a portion ofthe pouring lip of the roaster bowl; a heater disposed within theroaster housing and adapted to selectively heat the roaster bowl; and apour tray removably coupled to a side of the roaster housing at whichthe pouring lip of the roaster bowl is disposed.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising sugar adhered to the roaster bowl, sugaradhered to the pouring lip of the roaster bowl, and water disposedwithin the roaster bowl; and wherein the heater is adapted to selectablyheat the roaster bowl to cause a portion of the water within the roasterbowl to boil and to form steam, so as to cause the sugar adhered to theroaster bowl to dissolve.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising sugar adhered to the pouring lip of the roaster bowl, andwater disposed within the roaster bowl; and wherein the vent formedbetween the roaster bowl and the cover, and the pouring lip of theroaster bowl are suitably positioned and sized to cause steam exitingthe roaster bowl during a cleaning operation to condense on the pouringlip, to dissolve by the condensed steam the sugar adhered to the pouringlip, and to cause the dissolved sugar within the condensed steam to dripinto the roaster bowl.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising apan disposed underneath a distal terminus of the pour tray.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouring lip includes an outer edgewith a curvature; and wherein the pour tray includes a proximal end anda distal end, the proximal end of the pour tray including a curved edgewith a curvature that substantially corresponds to the curvature of theouter edge of the pouring lip.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein awidth of the curved edge of the pour tray is wider than a width of theouter edge of the pouring lip.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein thedistal end is narrower than the proximal end, the pour tray furtherincluding a sidewall sufficiently high to prevent spillage onto theroaster housing during a pouring operation during which water is pouredfrom the roaster bowl onto the pour tray.
 8. The apparatus of claim 5,wherein the proximal end of the pour tray includes a slope, relative toa top of the housing, descending downward toward the distal end of thepour tray.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pour tray includesan upper surface at least partially disposed above a top surface of theroaster housing, the pour tray further including a support memberextending downward from the upper surface of the pour tray, the supportmember extending adjacent to and removably coupled to a side surface ofthe roaster housing.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sidesurface of the roaster housing includes a pair of outwardly extendingmounting pins, and the support member of the pour tray includes a pairof engagement apertures adapted to receive the pair of mounting pinswhen the pour tray is coupled to the roaster housing.
 11. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the cover includes a rolled edge extendingpartially, and not fully, around a bottom of a side surface of thecover; and the roaster bowl includes a channel extending at leastpartially around a top surface of the roaster bowl and sized to receivethe rolled edge of the cover mounted on the roaster bowl; and whereinthe vent extends between the roaster bowl and the cover corresponding toa location of the cover that does not include the rolled edge.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 11, wherein the vent extends between the roaster bowland the cover for a distance corresponding to at least 15% of aperimeter of the bottom of the side surface of the cover.